Jockey Blake Shinn is set to make a significant move on his comeback journey by participating in the Flemington jump-outs this Friday.
Shinn has been booked by the Lindsay Park training team of Ben, Will, and J D Hayes to ride War Machine on Friday, and he has four other mounts as well.
He has also picked up rides for trainers Leon and Troy Corstens, and Will Larkin.
It has been a considerable time since Shinn last competed in a race, following a fall from She’s Got Pizzazz at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day last year which resulted in a broken leg.
He underwent a lengthy rehabilitation period to gradually improve his fitness, initially riding trackwork for his partner Lucy Yeomans before steadily increasing his workload for outside stables.
Friday’s jump-outs are the next logical step in his quest to return to race riding.
“Each stage has been ticked off and now we’re at the next stage, jump-outs and trials,” Shinn said.
“I’ll do Friday, then maybe one day next week.
“There are trials on the (July) 16th at Caulfield and that will determine where I kick off, whether it’s the 25th or wait a week for August 1.”
Shinn was recently seen with Yeomans in the winner’s circle, celebrating the victory of Parvati Party in the MRC Membership Made Of Moments Handicap (2125m) at Sandown on Wednesday.
He mentioned that if Yeomans had a midweek runner before his expected return, he might be back in action sooner.
“I will play that by ear,” Shinn commented.
“But in saying that, when I broke my neck, my first day back was at Randwick and I rode two winners and my first ride back, I won on Tom Melbourne.
“If it pans out, I’ll have a meeting before, but I’m in a good spot and I’m getting excited as all the hard work is done.
“We’re at the pointy end.”
Parvati Party’s win was Yeomans’ ninth since founding her own stable, with her first runner appearing last September.
“We’ve only got 10 in work but only three or four up and racing,” Yeomans explained.
“That’s our ninth winner, and Blake and I set a little target of trying to get double figures by the end of the season, so hopefully we can get one more winner by then and we’ll be rapt.”
Check out the latest betting markets for the upcoming races where Shinn might make his return.